A couple of days ago Polunatic drew our attention to an American congressman who was attempting to strike a blow for the freedom of truck-drivers. He wanted them to be free to work an extra two hours a day without pay by extending their workday from 14 to 16 hours with a two hour unpaid break. Wal-Mart, along with some other retailers, thought it was a great idea. And I suspect it's no accident that John Boozman, the congressman in question, represents the district which is home to Wal-Mart HQ and has received generous campaign contributions from the retailer. Critics of the legislation dubbed it the "Sweatshop-on-wheels amendment."
Rep. John Boozman, an Arkansas Republican whose district includes Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s headquarters, withdrew a proposed amendment that would have extended the workday for truckers to 16 hours as long as that included an unpaid two-hour break.
I could say I hope this represents the beginning of a trend but I know better. This was an amendment attached to a much larger bill and I'll bet Boozman tries it again when he figures nobody's looking.
Tacked on extras are a good reason for line vetos.